This is a very nice hiking trail that is very popular among the locals of Ojai California. With a nice gradual slope up the canyon, you have a chance to warm up before it gets steep.
Gridley Trail to Gridley Springs Camp
Gridley trail meets up with several other trails and eventually will take you up to the ranger tower on Nordhoff Peak.
Gridley Trail Entrance
Gridley Trail starts at the top of Gridley Road and meets up with Nordhoff Ridge Road. It’s a nice gentle incline and never too steep of a hike. It’s really nice and lends itself to the trails popularity among locals in Ojai.
Iconic Rocky Steps of Gridley Trail
These rock steps are iconic of Gridley Trail. It’s hard to imagine riding down them on a mountain bike but people do it almost everyday. I’ll stick to my good old hiking boots, thank you.
Picnic spot with a view
A view of Ojai from just a bit up the trail from the rock steps. Right behind is a nice boulder (not pictured) that’s good for having a little picnic with a view.
Looking up Gridley Canyon
A look up the long canyon toward Nordhoff Ridge. The ranger tower is up on that ridge just to the left behind the hillside.
Then looking down at beautiful Ojai California
View from a little higher up the trail, Ojai never ceases to amaze me with how beautiful it is from above.
Yucca seed pod
We saw several Yucca plants that had gone to seed along the trail. These pods can carry hundreds of seeds, they are really light so they can drift long distances in the wind.
Taking a break on a boulder halfway up a mountain
A little break on a boulder next to the trail. It seems every time I hike this trail I stop here.
Stopped to check out some small mushrooms
Mushrooms all over the trail! Everything was still dewy in the shade of the hillsides from the rain the day before.
I spotted a decent size puffball mushroom (Calbovista subsculpta). It’s actually edible and tasty if the inside is still white. As it matures the inside will turn dark brown and powdery due to the spores developing.
Fromk Wikipedia
Many mushrooms are poisonous some are deadly poisonous, and the responsibility for eating any mushroom or fungus must rest with the individual. Never eat any wild mushroom if you are not absolutely sure it is edible. Consider also there are people who are allergic to all species of mushrooms. Even when you know a mushroom well weather conditions or animal damage can cause differences in appearance that could lead to misidentification.
The Ojai fritillary Flower
Ojai fritillary (Fritillaria ojaiensis) sprouting up after a day of rain. It is a rare and endangered native plant that only grows in a few regions of California.
From Calflora:
Fritillaria ojaiensis, a monocot, is a perennial herb (bulb) that is native to California and is endemic (limited) to California.
Gridley Springs horse trough
After a bit more hiking we arrive at Gridley Springs Camp, a tiny little camp right off the side of the trail.
A sign of the drought in California
A sad sight indeed, I remember when this was overflowing with water all year around. This should serve as a reminder of the seriousness of the drought Southern California is in.
Finally to Gridley Springs Camp!
Here is a shot of the camp itself, in all it’s glory. Somebody seems to have taken out the fire pit and removed the steel ring that used to be up here.
My best guess would be it’s due to the fire restrictions that come with the drought.
It’s a small camp if it can be called a camp at all, it’s more of a stop-off spot to grab a quick meal before continuing on to the ridge.
Thanks for following my hike!
Please feel free to comment if you’d like. Also, be sure to check out HikeLosPadres.com for more information on the hikes that I go on or others if you’re interested in learning more about the wonderful natural world that surrounds you.
